Vehicle-shaft coupling.



Patented May -7, I901.

C. L. WEIHE. VEHICLE SHAFT COUPLING. (Application filed Feb. 18, 1901.]

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES L. WEIHE, OF NEW MINDEN, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-SHAFT COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,610, dated May '7, 1901.

Application filed February 18, 1901. Serial No. 47,839. (No model.)

To all whom it ma /y concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. WEIHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Minden, in the county-0f Washington and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Shaft-Oonplin gs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in shaftcouplings; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of one end of the axle and a partial section of the hollow block by which the coupling-pin is carried, the shaft of the vehicle being removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, the shaft being removed and a part of the wall of the block broken away, this view showing the retracted position, however, of the coupling-- pin; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts, the axle being in section, the shaft being, however, shown in its coupled position between the lugs of the clip carried by the axle.

The object of my invention is to providea buggy or vehicle with a device by which the shaft or tongue may at a moments notice be coupled to or uncoupled from the axle, a further object being to make such a coupling simple, durable, cheap, and one which can be manipulated with a minimum loss of time.

In detail the invention may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the ordinary axle, provided with the usual clip 2, between whose outwardly-projecting lugs or ears 3 the shaft 4 is coupled. In the present instance the coupling-pin 5 is mounted in a block or casting 6, secured to the axle by means of screws 7, passed through the upper and terminal lugs 8, formed with the block,

'the said pin passing through a longitudinal opening 9, formed in the block and projecting a suitable distance beyond each end of the same. A portion of the pin is screwthreaded, said screw-threaded portion receiving a nut 10, against which bears one end of a coiled spring 11, encircling the pin, the opposite end of said spring bearing against an annular shoulder 12, formed at one end of the cavity or opening 9, said nut serving to adjust the tension of said spring. The inner projecting end of the pin 5 terminates in a T or other suitable handle 13, by which the pin may be partially retracted from the block and uncoupled from the shaft, (see Fig. 2,) the opposite projecting end of the pin under the resiliency of the spring 11 normally passing through the lugs 3 and the perforated inner end of the shaft and connecting the parts.

The block 6 is provided with a terminal arm or extension 14, having a longitudinal perforation or slit 15, through which passes the rear end of the antirattling-spring 16, the rear edge being turned or deflected so as to come between the said arm 14 and the adjacent surface of the clip 2. In this manner the spring 16 is held in place, but may be removed at a moments notice and readily replaced by a new spring if it becomes accidentally broken.

As shown in Fig. 1, it is apparent that the pin 5 couples the shaft to the axle, the parts being held in engagement by the resiliency of the spring 11, the tendency of which is to force the pin toward the clip 2. If it becomes desirable to disengage or uncouple the shaft, the pin is retracted by seizing the handle 13, as seen in Fig. 2, the shaft being thereby uncoupled.

It is to be understood, of course, that minor changes may be resorted to in the construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A shaft-coupling comprising a suitable block, having a longitudinal perforation or opening, means for securing the block to the axle of the vehicle, a clip carried by the axle having lugs between which the end of the shaft is inserted, a pin passed through the opening of the block, and having a smooth and a screw-threaded portion and having its opposite ends projecting beyond the block, a nut passed over the screw-threaded portion, a shoulder formed at one end of the opening, a coiled spring encircling the pin within the block and having its opposite ends bearing respectively against the nut and shoulder aforesaid, the pin being normally forced into engagement with the lugs of the clip and the shaft, and adapted to be Withdrawn or nng and-a-move'ble pin carried by the block, all to coupled from the opposite projecting end operating"substantially as-and fer the pursubstantially as set forth. pose set forth.

2. In a shaft-coupling, a suitable block- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 5 adapted to be secured to the axle of the vein presence of two witnesses.

hiele, a clip carried by bheaxle, lugs-on-said CHARLES L. WEIHE. clip, an arm forming an extension of the block Witnesses:

and extending across the bases of the lugs, A. H. COHLMEYER,

an antirattling-spring carried by said arm, FRANK VERNOR. 

